TOLEDO BEND, La. (KALB) - On May 16 at 6 a.m., the Big Bass Splash Tournament begins at the Toledo Bend Reservoir.
The three-day event is expected to bring in over 2,300 fishermen, all trying to get any of the half-million dollars’ worth of prizes. The grand prize winner will receive a brand-new Phoenix boat, a Ram truck and $5,000.
The Big Bass Splash was created by Bob Sealy in 1984, and at that time, the grand prize was $10,000. Unfortunately, Sealy died of cancer last July. His son-in-law, Chris Bennett, said that his legacy lives on, and he is fondly remembered in the fishing community.
“This is forever, Bob. Yep, he’s a legend, and we’re going to keep his legacy going,” Bennett said. “That’s our goal. My wife has been raised up in this business, my mother-in-law, they’re still running things behind the scenes as they always have. Bob was a legend, and we miss him dearly. But, we’re going to keep this going.”
Last year, a cheating scandal occurred when a Pollock man was caught adding weights to his fish. This year, to combat cheating in the competition, Bennett said they have placed several precautions to prevent this from happening again.
“Our rules are in black and white, and we always ask all anglers to be sure to read our rules, because they have to be followed,” he said. “We do polygraph after each and every hour, we do boat inspections each and every hour.”
The online registration for the event has closed. However, tournament officials will have in-person registration on May 15 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Cypress Bend Park, which is at 3462 Cypress Bend Drive in Many.